Gone to the Dogs Podcast

As an lifelong coon hunter and as a registry executive for three major registries over a 35-year career, Gone To The Dogs host Steve Fielder has accumulated a storehouse of knowledge about the sport of raccoon hunting with hounds. In this episode Fielder explores a must-know list of ten things every coon hunter should know if he or she is to enjoy the sport, either for pleasure or in competition, to its fullest. The host covers the fundamentals of coon hunting, how to find places to hunt, how to choose the right types of gear, how to properly and safely purchase a coonhound, how to buy or breed and to train a coonhound pup, how to develop a network of hound hunting friends, how to make an indelible mark on the sport, how to handle a hound successfully in competition, how to stay healthy despite the rigors of coon hunting and lastly, how to avoid the many pitfalls one can encounter out there following the hounds of the night. It's all here, wrapped nicely in coon talk at its finest.

Fresh off his win at the 2025 ProSport National Cup championship in Brazil, Ind., Daniel Sneed of Cherryville, North Carolina joins Steve for some dog talk at its finest, chiefly surrounding the hound with which Sneed won the prestigious event. At thirty-eight years of age, Sneed has a story that's all too familiar to the host having grown up in the home of a houndsman and developing a love for coon hunting at an early age. Steve and Daniel compare notes on their development in the sport and readily find many similarities in their backgrounds. Sneed is an articulate story teller and listeners will enjoy his precise accounts of the three-night Pro Cup event leading up to his hound No Name Epp being declared the overall Pro Cup champion. This one covers all the basis of pleasure and competition hunting and includes an admission by Sneed that may surprise listeners given his obvious success in the competition realm. Dog talk at its finest one more time on the Gone To The Dogs Podcast.

In this episode Steve sits down with his best buddies Nubbin Moore to talk about, among several life-changing subjects, Nubbin's recent election to honored lifetime membership status with the American Black and Tan Coonhound Association. The ABTCHA memberships votes one member into the exclusive group each year with the award presented the following year at Black and Tan Days. Nubbin questions his worthiness while Steve sets the record straight. Nubbin enjoys fishing as well as coon hunting and the two discuss Moore's recent trips and successes. The conversation moves to the question, when does a coon hunter recognize it's time to retire? Neither, by their own admission, has reached that point in the game but do discuss the possibility. Black and Tan fanciers will enjoy Nubbin's reflections on two of his most famous Black and Tans, Hank and Zack. Each were successful on the biggest stages in coon hunting during their primes including Hank's win overall at the 25th anniversary Autumn Oaks. When does a hunter realize he's too old to start another pup is a question the pair wrestle with in this laid back, easy-listening podcast. The talk is as smooth as Tennessee whiskey. Have a virtual “sip” and enjoy.

The podcast reaches out to the State of Texas for the third episode in a row as Steve hosts octogenarian coon hunter Kenwood Maeker. Maeker, at 87 years of age has literally traveled the world in those many years in the oil industry to places like Nigeria and Indonesia to name but two. Listeners will be impressed by the amazing recall of one of Steve's favorite acquaintances from his many years traveling the competitive coonhound circuit across the nation. Many of those trips were to Texas. Black and Tan Coonhounds have been Maeker's breed of choice since boyhood and the conversation brings to the show memories of the favorites, the notable hounds that hold special places in time. The conversation covers a wide range of interesting topics and ranks high on Steve's list of favorites.

Who's winning $100,000 in cash or a $40,000 side-by-side in coonhound competition these days? If you said "Marc Gilmore of Streetman, Tex.," the guest for this podcast, you would be absolutely right. And you would probably also know that those amazing wins are just a few of the final four and better finishes this Texas coon hunter has assembled over the last year; wins at the Lone Star 5000, the Black Eyed Pea Classic and the PKC Texas State Championship to name a few . Steve and Marc discuss the differences in competition and pleasure hunting, Marc's views on the importance of hunting a competition hound through the week leading up to the hunt, and break down the amazing hound that did the heavy work of treeing coons, lots of them, nearly every time Gilmore unsnaps the leash. Backwoods Sliding Clyde is the hound Marc has chosen to take to the big events and four-year-old Treeing Walker doesn't disappoint. You will learn all about one of the sport's winningest hounds and about the man that makes the calls in this very entertaining episode.

This episode represents a Texas-style homecoming for host Steve Fielder as he reunites with longtime friend Ray Dismukes of McDade, Texas. Dismukes, fresh off a major win at the UKC Texas State Championship, joins Steve to talk all things coon hunting, Texas style. Fielder and Dismukes are contemporaries, having been born less than a month apart in 1946. They met at the UKC American Heritage Hunt in 1992 and took a hunt together at that hunt that's part of the conversation. Dismukes has remained active in the sport despite being 78 years old, an age when most coon hunters have hung up the leashes for good. Dismukes shares his ideas on pup training, describes his young Texas State Champion English dog he calls Sandhills Jack of Diamonds, and gives an account of the hunt, his first Texas State win despite hunt the event for many years. Ray is one of the most-respected coon hunters among the legions of them over the years in the Lone Star State. Ray's passion and pleasing demeanor make this an enjoyable listen for anyone, young or not so young, that loves the sound of the hounds. Vintage coon hunting conversation in a podcast that will listened to by many, again and again.

This episode aired before the death of one of coon hunting's most successful and most colorful ambassadors. I hope you enjoy this replay from November of 2022.  This episode takes us to the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas to visit with coon hunting legend Junior Lasseter.  At 73 years of age, Junior had amazing recall of events that led him from the Ozark hills to the major stages of competitive coon hunting, in the woods and on the bench. At one time in coon hunting history, there were many commercial coonhound and combination dog kennels operating out of the Ozarks.  Ads appeared in the classified sections of not only the tree dog publications but in major outdoor magazines as well.  Writers like Wilson Rawls created a narrative that the Ozarks were the cradle of coon hunting in America.  Lasseter's stories emanate from the same root and place him as the perfect visitant to the Gone To The Dogs microphone. Lasseter has owned National Champions on the bench in both the UKC, PKC and ACHA registries and has a final four appearance in the UKC World Championship to his credit.  He's the first, and perhaps only handler to win a pickup truck showing hounds.  Lasseter's hounds like Table Rock Flying Hawk, Table Rock Mundo, Jr., Biggerstaff's Little Buck, and Morgan's Tree Jamming Mundar fill the conversations in this episode.  Lasseter was known far and wide in the 80's when Steve began his career at the UKC registry.This episode is smothered with Ozark flavor, like cathead biscuits under a blanket of fried squirrel gravy. You'll enjoy Junior's stories.  You'll want to follow them to the source, and you will, where mountain music echoes off the ridges and swells up from the cold stream hollers of tree dog country. It's all right here so, enjoy!

Kentucky has long been noted as the cradle of coon hunting as we know it today. The famed Walker family, noted for their namesake the Walker foxhound which was the forerunner of today's Treeing Walker, the most popular of all coonhound breeds, lived in Kentucky. In this episode Steve recalls the first licensed hunt in which he participated took place at a coon hunting club in Kentucky. Considered by many to be the Kentucky Derby of coon hunting competitions, the massive PKC World Hunt was held in the western Kentucky town of Aurora for many years. Our guest Billy Carter joins Steve in remembering their great experiences hunting there and throughout the Bluegrass State. Upon learning of the formation of the new Kentucky Sporting Dog Alliance, Steve contacted former podcast guest Billy Carter to learn the skinny on the new group. It's all here in this episode including the purpose and goals of the association, its plans to bring Kentucky sporting dog owners of every stripe under one tent and divulges the organization's plans for statewide competitions involving monetary awards, all for the purpose of bringing hunters together. Everybody needs somebody and hunting dog enthusiasts nationwide need to realize and practice the adage “there's strength in numbers.” We need to come together if our sport is to survive and thrive.

In this episode Steve talks with successful competition handler Billy Bell of Tennessee. Steve met Billy in 1998 when he joined the PKC organization as its Senior Vice President. Billy and his brother Avery were actively competing in PKC events and doing their share of winning at a time when entry fees and subsequent payouts were much smaller than they are today. Bell, has amassed nearly a half million dollars in handler earnings and continues to be a major force in today's fast-paced competition game. The boys discuss several top hounds that Bell has handled including Carolina Peach, The Wicked Speed Shifter, Late Round Rock, Spice Girl, Cash Flow and others. Bell's excellent recall of the hunts and hounds from his long list of experiences makes interesting conversation for competition junkies and novices alike. The episode finishes with Steve encouraging Billy to share his views on staying in top shape, physically and spiritually. It's an episode that lives up to the show's motto; dog talk at its finest!

In this episode, Steve travels to Columbus, Georgia, home of the U.S. Army's Fort Benning to attend the graduation of his granddaughter from the Army Advanced Infantry Training school.  He recounts his visit to the National Infantry Museum and the impact it had as it reminded him that his father completed basic training at Fort Benning in 1939 prior to WWII.  The account of Steve's trip to Fort Benning provides a perfect segue into the episode's purpose, the recognition of all the volunteers that make possible hundreds of events that are enjoyed by so many. In the episode, Steve recalls several standout members of the Volunteer Army, many who have gone to their heavenly rewards.  Listeners will recognize many of these standouts but will be reminded that anyone that sweeps the floor, flips the burgers, or manages the paperwork at a club is a soldier in the army and is valuable to the very last woman or man. 

Steve invites his Florida coon hunting buddy Mack Britt to join him for a conversation about Mack's current project, a Walker male named Clutch. The banter centers on Clutch's progression from being a lightly-started rookie of eighteen months to his current status as Mack's nightly choice for coon hunting in Florida's always challenging terrain and atmospheric conditions. The value in this podcast lies in the information and encouragement it provides to hunters that may be on the verge of giving up on a hound that isn't progressing up to expectations. Clutch's story will illustrate that each dog is different, that they progress at their individual rate, depending upon the opportunities they are given and that even the most unlikely candidate can blossom into a hound the hunter will appreciate and enjoy in time. Britt last appeared on Gone To The Dogs a year ago and the guys have a lot to catch up on. This is a podcast for coon hunters that are determined to press on despite the adversities of age, adverse hunting conditions and dog-related problems. You'll find this one entertaining and inspirational. It could be described as the light at the end of the tunnel. Enjoy.

It's time for another visit with octogenarian coon hunter Fred Moran. Fred is affectionately known as Fred Moran the Redbone Man and has been for decades. Moran is now 88 years young and is still following the hounds of the night even though he has cut back to “two or three” nights a week by his own admission. Steve had been concerned about his old friend, largely due to age and some health concerns but finds Fred to be in rare form for this episode. Moran episodes always entertain and there's always something for the listener no matter the demographic. Settle if with the pair, hunters that collectively account for 166 years of experience, and enjoy some quality time with The Redbone Man.

Steve lands the interview with one of his most-highly sought-after guests in this episode.  Al Metcalf of Barnesville, Georgia is a tree dog enthusiast like no other.  His transformation from a 32-year veteran of the Georgia Highway Patrol to what can only be described as the renaissance man of tree dog enthusiasts, Medcalf is a throwback to a time when men hunted for food and the tree dog was essential to their survival.   Medcalf's mantra “If it climbs, it's not trash” and his waste-not-want-not attitude toward tree game reveal the soul of a real hunter and woodsman, the kind rarely seen today.  Medcalf hunts a mixed bag of Plotts, Mountain Curs and Plott/Cur crosses, with little concern for popular breeds or bloodlines and proves, when the record button turns red, to be a storyteller par excellence.   You're going to love this episode.  

This episode finds its roots in a text message in which a listener asks Steve if he's going to do a podcast on Field Trials and Water races.  Steve's immediate response is, “I'm going to now.”Nate Hickson is a brand shiny new tree dog enthusiast, but not at all new to training dogs.  In fact dog training is his vocation, it's just that his is not the type of training we normally associate with trail and tree dogs.Nate had lots of questions for the old timer and Steve doesn't hold back.  The origin of field trails as the precourser to Nite Hunts is a good place to begin the conversations and things sort of accelerate from there.  Citing the UKC's centenial publication The First 100 Years as a reference source, Steve, who authoring many of the articles in the book, takes Nate, and the listener on a fact-filled journey back to the 1930s in this interesting look at the genesis of hound games and ends by asking the question, will the Field Trails and Water Races be the game of the future.  It's an interesting question framed in a lot of interesting accounts and rememberances.  Enjoy.We would like to thank those who support this podcast.  Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode.  Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links belowhttps://www.dusupply.com/alphadogwww.dusupply.comhttps://alphadognutrition.com/

When Steve and his partner in coonhounds Mark Miller made the decision to offer their young Quadruple Grand Champion Bear Pen Fever at stud, a young couple from southeastern North Carolina were the first to book a breeding.   Lucas and Kayleigh Clemmons, both in their 20s decided to take a chance on the unproven stud dog after losing the hound that had intended to use.   The bitch the Clemmons duo wanted to breed was a two-year old Plott female they named Lean Mean JoleneIn this episode Steve talks with the Clemmons' about the decision, the surprise the litter of twelve provided them and the decision to raise the entire litter in their home.  This is a great conversation for hunters wishing to get their spouses involved in their sport and addresses the advantages to be had and the pitfalls to be avoided.   Lady listeners will particularly enjoy Kayleigh's perspective on hounds and hunting from a woman's point of view.With so many young hunters entering the hound sports today, this episode provides the answer to the age old question, is coon hunting strictly a man's game. 

Houndsmen and hound women join the hound-hunting sport chiefly for one purpose, to experience the audible thrill of the chase, the proverbial music of the hounds.  Imagine if you will, a consummate hound hunter since youth, loving this sport above all other experiences and facing the real possibility that he will lose his hearing, rendering him no longer able to experience the sport that which he truly loves?Our guest this week was that hunter.  His story includes his failed attempts to join the military, his early days of competition hunting, his affinity for bluegrass music, his discovery of a hidden talent which he exhibits for our host, and the story of his fear that surgical attempts to save his hearing could leave him totally deaf.   It's a story of faith, determination,and overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles.Brad Hall works for jet engine manufacturer Rolls Royce in Indianapolis.  He is launching a new venture in the form of a podcast to bring coon hunters of faith to his microphone to share their stories, all of which center around the sport of raccoon hunting and include testimonies of faith.   Steve takes the opportunity to explore the content Brad plans to bring to his show as the two longtime friends share this common interest.   

Steve met Matthew Huff three years ago on social media.   The hunters shared a love for tree dogs that brought them to a personal meeting at the 2022 Grand American Coon Hunt in South Carolina.Huff's story is unique.  It begins in California and moves eastward to Georgia.  The catalyst for his mostly urban coon hunting activities came in the form of a mixed breed, mostly hound, with perhaps a shot of Treeing Walker dog named Sargeant.As his travels took him across the nation Huff continued to hunt the orphaned Sarge mostly by himself on public grounds and parks until a purebred Bluetick entered the picture.  That's were we find Huff today, treeing coons with regularity and assuming the more common role of hound and hunter with a traditional coonhound breed.Mentioning Huff as an urban coon hunter, he now lives in metro Atlanta.  Activities inspired by the Orthodox Christian Church with whom he affiliates, have taken him to the mountains of West Virginia and to the Carolinas helping those in need, something that comes naturally to the humanitarian. This is an interesting episode that proves that hounds can lead us in many directions, some of which we may never had expected.  -- 

Bear hunter Holt Collier, who was the guide for the famous “teddy bear” hunt that earned President Theodore Roosevelt his nickname, can lay claim to taking a sitting president bear hunting.  That's a distinction similar to that of our guest but not quite.  Our guest Mark Israel of Smithfield, Georgia, took the 39th President of the United States coon hunting and not just once, but several times following the family friend's term in office.Steve met Israel during his PKC days and Mark related to our host, several stories of his hunts with the peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia turned governor and ultimately president of the United States, Jimmy Carter.  Carter's famous farm in Plains sits a mere six miles from the Israel family's homestead.Carter served the State of Georgia as its governor from 1971 to 1975 and the nation as president, from 1977 to 1981.  He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian work.This exclusive Gone To The Dogs podcast presents an interesting conversation involving hounds, coon hunting, secret service agents and an inside look at a man that once was the most powerful man in the world.   We would like to thank those who support this podcast.  Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode.  Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links belowhttps://www.dusupply.com/alphadogwww.dusupply.comhttps://alphadognutrition.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@DoubleUHuntingSupply/podcastsWe would like to thank those who support this podcast.  Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode.  Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links belowhttps://www.dusupply.com/alphadogwww.dusupply.comhttps://alphadognutrition.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@DoubleUHuntingSupply/podcasts

In this episode, Steve talks with five hunters from as many states that came to hunt raccoons with hounds in the White River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas this year.   Hunters from the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee are included in the conversations.The episode offers more than three hours of content that collectively describe the hunts and the types of hunting the refuge offered this year.  Perhaps more so than any of the previous fourteen years Steve has hunted the White River Refuge, this year presented many challenges which are discussed in length in the episode.Whether you take in the full volume of content at one time or carve it into bite-sized pieces to enjoy in coming days, you will enjoy meeting Billy Carter, Robert Cromer, Caleb Griffin, John Staib and Brandon Taylor as they tell their stories in our White River Recap 2004.  We would like to thank those who support this podcast.  Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode.  Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links belowhttps://www.dusupply.com/alphadogwww.dusupply.comhttps://alphadognutrition.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@DoubleUHuntingSupply/podcasts

 At the point of the recording, two nights of a four-night hunt have been accomplished.  The account of opening night; a date coon hunters universally look forward to all year long, is the tale of a young dog coming of age and the tale of his journey from pup to coon dog.Each listener that keeps hounds and loves the outdoors will enjoy this podcast. The conversation will paint the picture of two friends, two hounds, a coon dog and a pup, in an amazing autumn setting that can only be experienced in depth by doing as Steve has done, by getting in the truck and putting nearly 1000 miles on the odometer before the hounds are released into the mountain air on an incredible opening night. We would like to thank those who support this podcast.  Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode.  Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links belowhttps://www.dusupply.com/alphadogwww.dusupply.comhttps://alphadognutrition.com/

This episode drops on the Monday before Thanksgiving.  Steve extolls the joys of one of his favorite times of year as the episode opens.  Thanksgiving could well be called the hunter's holiday since so much hunting activity routinely takes place on and around the traditional holiday.Fellow podcast content creator Clayton Stark's post on social media forms the basis for reflections by many members of the hound hunting community as they recall special memories.  Moreso than any other, Thanksgiving is a holiday for families; sumptuous meals, football games, recounts of family adventures combine to make the most, for some, enjoyable holiday of the year.A phone call with Steve's hunting buddy and frequent traveling companion Arnold “Nubbin” Moore rounds out the conversation as they discuss the upcoming annual trip to Arkansas and the White River National Wildlife Refuge. With this episode, Steve and Ella, as well as the crews at Double U Hunting Supply, Alpha Dog Nutrition and Zepp Predator Calls, send a collective “Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!”

This episode takes the listener to eastern Kentucky, land of our host's roots and home of our guest Robbie Spears.Spears is a coon hunting game warden with the rank of Lieutenant in the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, a coon hunting Mr. Green Jeans.Robbie and Steve enjoy a conversation about their Kentucky roots, about Robbie's lifelong desire to work outdoors, and spend a great deal of the episode talking about some successful English Coonhounds, his breed of choice.Spears has done his share of winning in competition, placing sixth in the UKC World Championship and winning the Purina Outstanding Nite Hunt Coonhound race overall.A good deal of the conversation centers upon the importance of passing the tree dog sports on to the kids, of which Robbie has two.  His outlook is interesting may present views the average houndsman has not considered before. And by the way, the coon hunter whose name Steve could not remember in the episode was Irvin Sutton, owner and handler of Dark Shadow Bobbie, a remarkable English coonhound in her day. This one is worth you time.We would like to thank those who support this podcast.  Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode.  Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links belowhttps://www.dusupply.com/alphadogwww.dusupply.comhttps://alphadognutrition.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@DoubleUHuntingSupply/podcasts

What happens when an active raccoon and bear-hunting houndsman is faced with a debilitating injury at the onset of hunting season?  Does he become discouraged to the point of giving up or does he purpose to overcome adversity and forge into the future with a firm resolve? The subject of our episode this week personifies the latter. Mark Miller of Taylorsville, North Carolina is a houndsman in the prime of life, a guy that approaches hound hunting like a rookie fireman on his first five-alarm run.  His determination to take a green pup all the way to the Quadruple Grand level in the coonhound game is evidence of just how hard he goes at it. Unfortunately, Miller finds himself dealing lately with a severe back injury that so far is devoid of a clear long-term prognosis, a situation that would get a lesser man down.Steve and Mark spend the duration of the podcast talking about Mark's personal battle, about the hound that the two friends co-own and finally, about a new prospect that Steve hopes will follow in his sire's footsteps. Despite the variety of subjects at hand, some with a serious degree of uncertainty, the friends manage to see light at the end of the tunnel in the upcoming Grand American and American Plott Association upcoming at the first of the year.   It's an hour of the “dog talk at its finest” you've come to expect in this spot each week. Enjoy. 

In this episode, Steve records with Randy Smith of the famed Lone Pine Kennels in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, renown producers of world class Treeing Walkers  Steve recently spent seven nights hunting with Randy.   Randy's son Troy and video and podcast content producer Clayton Stark of Stark Outdoors joined Steve and Randy on some of the hunts.In what could also be described as “A Trip To The Lone Pine Museum” Steve questions Randy about several of the photos and paintings found hanging in the guest quarters and the answers are a walk through the annals of Lone Pine history. This episode is the next best thing to driving to western Pennsylvania and hunting with the Lone Pine hounds in person.  Enjoy. 

Fred Moran, a frequent guest to the Gone To The Dogs podcast, is eighty-seven years old.  The remarkable octogenarian coon hunter continues to hunt raccoons regularly with his beloved Redbones at an age well past the point most coon hunters have retired from the game.  Not only is Moran still hunting, he continues the pursuit of good hounds wherever they may be found.  In this episode he discusses going to Mississippi to try a new hound.   This is a vintage Fred Moran conversation that listeners have come to appreciate over the life of this podcast.  Enjoy. 

The Gone To The Dogs Podcast is nothing if not a gathering place for the nation's best known and most revered raccoon hunters.The week the podcast features a big helping of “Dog Talk At It's Finest.”Steve brings one of the sports most respected and longest running breeders of Treeing Walker Coonhounds, the renown Jim “Wildman” Meeks to the Gone To The Dogs microphone.  Meeks, a first ballot inductee into the North Carolina State Coon Hunters Hall of Fame, is possessed of a wealth of knowledge all areas of the coon hunting game. This one literally oozes Old School coon hunting from the first drop to the final tree.  Steve and Jim discuss a gamut of subjects from hunting gear to pup training and a little of everything in between.  With hunting seasons upon us, this one is for the guys that do it simply for the love of the hounds, as told by one of the true purists in our sport. 

Jones describes first-hand what it's like to see entire towns, bridges and highways swept away with no warning.  This frank conversation exposes the insensitivities of those outside the region and the shear hopelessness felt by citizens of the region, many of them hound people themselves.  Jones describes the devastation and recounts the terrible tragedy as a fellow coon and bear hunter on a rescue mission with his boat is swept under a bridge and has not been seen.  It's not the average feel-good episode but it does reveal the importance of living each day as if it is the last.I felt it important to do this podcast at this particular time if for no other reason than to bring help and comfort to those that are so badly in need.  Jones emphasizes the importance of looking to those nearby that may need our help and doing what we can for them first.  It's a sobering episode but one that we all need to hear at this very difficult time.We would like to thank those who support this podcast.  Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode.  Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links belowhttps://www.dusupply.com/alphadogwww.dusupply.comhttps://alphadognutrition.com/

Georgia's Peach State Shootout winner Gregory Mitchell joins his father Greg Mitchell and event founder Caden Riley to discuss Gregory's recent success in capturing the prestigious year-long coonhound series designed exclusively for youth hunters.Riley was a guest in June of this year to discuss the event already in progress.   Barely out of the youth competition age group himself, Riley is the architect of the event which consisted of eight qualifying events across the State of Georgia with successful cast winners vying for one of the Top Nine spots in the final.Listeners get the full account of the event from both the management and participant's perspective.  This is big league youth hunting at its finest and the listener will realize it from the opening bell until the final tree is scored.  Enjoy.  

In this episode we catch up with Casey Maggard of Hyden, Kentucky just three days after the Treeing Walker female owned by his uncle Jack Maggard won the prestigious UKC World Coonhound Championship.   WLD NITE CH GRNITECH (2 Little Lacey won four casts without a loss at the championship finals held in Marshall, Illinois one week before this episode airs.  We talk to Casey about his origins with Lacey, how she came to live with the Maggards and how she began her climb to greatness and achieved the ultimate by winning the most prestigious coonhound world championship in the competitive coon hunting sport   We talk about her breeding, her hunting style and most importantly, Casey takes us along with his play by play account of her ascent at Marshall from round one all the final important seconds of the World Championship final cast.If competition is your game, if you like staying on the cutting edge of that game, and if you are possessed of a genuine interest in what it takes to succeed at the game, this one's for you.

Gone To The Dogs with Shininger and CableMonday, September 23, 2024When the Autumn Oaks interviews suffered a hit by unexpected electronic foes, the onsite conversation with Plott aficionado Bill Shininger and youth handler/hunter Hannah Cable had to be rescheduled after the event.  What would seem to be a disappointment, lacking the on-site flavor of the crowd at Oaks, the interview turned out to be an easy-listening episode that listeners are sure to appreciate.Shininger is no newcomer to the podcast while Cable is a first-timer. The exchange runs the gamut of all things Plott dogs.  Shininger is a breeder and fancier that has hitched his kennel's star to a standout stud dog named Lazarus, winner of the trifecta for Plotts with three-in-a-row victories at the prestigious Plott Days event hosted annually by the National Plott Hound Association.The name Cable is legendary in the coonhound world through the exploits of Hannah's older brother Kevin, handler and promoter of the famed Big Money-line of Treeing Walker dogs.  Kevin's seventeen-year-old sister Hannah has also earned considerable acclaim but with her Plott dogs.  Showing and sometimes hunting Gambler, her first Plott and Joe, brother to Shininger's stud dog Lazarus, Hannah has compiled a long list of wins, largely in Bench Show competition but not all.Shininger and Cable appear in this episode because of their demonstrated willingness to give back to the sport they love.  Shininger's efforts in encouraging hunters to preserve their hounds through frozen semen and Cable's efforts to encourage and help other youth to excel in the hound sport she loves make them both worthy of your time.  The inspiration and encouragement they bring is infectious. 

Steve's guest is Tennessean T. L. Jones. Many of Jones' friends know him as Tracey. Tracey is a third-generation houndsman and bear hunter. He is also an ordained Baptist minister and a newly-published author. He appears as our guest in this episode because he is a great speaker and an altogether interesting fellow on many subjects. Tracey has written a unique book titled The Old Men. Born in 1970 in East Tennessee, much of his boyhood was spent in the company of old men, farming, hunting, fishing and as he puts it, “loafering” in the Appalachian Mountains. Jones' book consists of eighty-four essays representing conversations with the old men of his experience that help boys become men. Steve and Tracey are longtime friends. They share a love for the Plott Hound and much of the conversation in this episode centers upon their experiences with the special old houndsmen in their lives. For Steve, it's the many years he hunted with his dad. For Jones, the experiences with his dad and his grandfather continue to inspire his pastoral work and his writing. Each attribute their attitudes and accomplishments to the good sense to listen to the old men. Whether you are young or old, you are bound to find something to enjoy in this unique episode. 

In this his final episode, at least for now, Corey joins Steve in recalling their memories of coon hunting in Michigan.  Each served on the staff of Michigan-based United Kennel Club, albeit some ten years distant in times served, and they share, in this episode, many memories of hunting one of the very best states for coon hunting in the nation.As summer winds down, what better way to usher in fall than stories of hunts under a harvest moon with corn shocks rustling and hound voices echoing across the fields, swamps and woodlots of Pure Michigan?   

Jamie Estep is the busiest man in the coon hunting game.  He's a sharp guy with boundless energy and a winsome personality.    Not only is he a Field Representative for United Kennel Club, he serves as an official interpreter of UKC rules, anchors the annual YouTube broadcast of the UKC Tournament of Champions, is President of the West Virginia State Coon Hunter's Association, the president of his local coon club, the principal of a Christian school and serves as a full-time pastor of his local church.  Recently Estep was the overseer of a very successful West Virginia Championship which he and Steve discuss at length in this episode.Being from the State of West Virginia, Jamie and Steve have a lot of common memories of hunts and hunters of the Mountain State.  This one presents Dog Talk At Its Finest, Appalachian style  It's a good one.   

The conversation moves to the topic of the Autumn Oaks shows.  Currens is an octogenarian that was a hard hunter but remains very active by showing his Treeing Walkers in major competition.We talk about the judges UKC has selected for “The Event Where History Is Made” and talk about Lee's experiences having judged the event three times.  The “Dog Talk At Its Finest” mantra is well-supported in this episode as two veterans discuss many facets of the coonhound sport by way of their many years of experience, Steve as the manager and Lee as a major competitor.  This one provides an enjoyable look at one of the nation's most important coonhound events

 The boys engage in the usual “dog talk at its finest” in the opening minutes of the episode before cracking the lid on a can of mayhem and confusion centered on the age old “just who gives you the right” challenge.  Triggered somewhat by comments on recent social media, Corey opens a discussion about who gets to decide what quality is in a given breed of hounds?  And, beyond that, who has the authority to call the shots when it comes to breeding quality dogs?   Does simply owning a great dog make the owner the be-all, end-all authority on the breed?   Opinions in this episode are flying like starlings in the wind, the opinions no more authoritative than the flapping of wings yet no less passionate.   This is a lively discussion that's bound to stir a reaction or two within every houndsman, color and conformation preferences aside.  

We're taking about cheating. When Steve was with the registries he dealt with it on a fairly frequent basis.  Determined to keep coon hunting in a positive light, he rarely wrote publicly about the subject, choosing to let the system deal with perpetrators behind the scenes.  Now, unburdened by what was before, he and Corey spotlight the pencil crooks, the blind voters, the dog pitchers and catchers, and the movers and switchers in a sport that was built, and owes its very survival to the premise that honor belongs to whom honor is due.You'll enjoy this eye-opening look at the sport behind the scenes and, believe it or not, may come away feeling better about it in the process.  There's no substitute, no better remedy, for correcting the ills of dishonesty in competition than a good working knowledge of the rules of the game by all participants. The problems and solutions of keeping a level field are all here in this episode.  We not only see the elephant in this episode, we skin it out and tack its hide to the wall.   

Steve and Corey touch on track dogs and tree climbers in this episode from the front porch on a dog day afternoon.  Steve has some pretty serious views on the subject of climbing trees when training hounds and offers a strong admonishment to those tempted to apply the method to their training regimen in a single word, don't!Whether your drink of choice is sweet tea or a mint julep, pour a tall one and enjoy an hour or so with us, rocking to the Summertime blues

Wes and Steve have known and have made many hunts with Heath over several years.  It was on a Freedom Hunter's Adventure with Heath that Steve and Wes became well-acquainted.  This week the two come together to discuss some “Hyatt-style Adventures” that adequately spill the beans on the professional trainer.  Woodyard credits Heath with bringing him into the hound sport and when he asked for the opportunity to give credit where credit is due on a podcast, Steve was glad to comply.  The episode illustrates the importance of mentoring new hunters into the sport.  This is a feel-good episode that just goes to show that while bringing someone into the sport isn't always easy, it can pay big dividends.   Woodyard, formed in the Hyatt mold, is an extreme hound hunter that never shirks the hard stuff when it comes to hunting and harvesting black bears.  Every hunting party needs one like Wes.  You'll enjoy this one.  

 Hot weather is abundant and so are summertime tales in this episode.  Recent exploits of the boys Plott dogs as well as the announcement of the upcoming nuptials of Corey's female Goldie to Bill Shininger's stud dog are front and center.   The talk moves to the latest accomplishments of Steve and Mark Miller's Plott Fever in field and water events and progresses to the realm of deep-thinking about how to decide when and to which stud to breed with an admonition to owners of females “not to wait too long.”  With Autumn Oaks less than two months away, the boys share some of their favorite humorous stories from experiences at “The Event Where History Is Made.”This one is jam-packed with good information concerning how to improve club membership, explores the dangers of a once-common practice of climbing trees and culminates with a very interesting conversation on the importance of track dogs in the sport.  The boys discuss the all-important question “which is more important, the track dog or the tree dog?”  If you don't listen to anything else this week, check out this portion of the podcast.  It's good stuff!

Co-host Corey Gruver and Steve have been addressing various aspects of treeing in reference to coonhounds in previous episodes.  In this podcast, Whatley joins in a discussion based on exploring the many aspects of trail or track dogs in our sport. Whatley, in his competition days was well-known for following some mighty-good Bluetick hounds and Steve is not hesitant to explore with the man that fed them, the attributes of those dogs in regard to whether or not they could be identified as good track dogs.  All the aspects of what it means to be recognized as a “track dog” are explored in this episode.  Dex is very knowledgeable, can be extremely humorous and speaks with an accent and with the demeanor of one that is definitely Lone Star to the bone.  Enjoy.   

Desiring to do something to stimulate activity and participation in coon hunting among Georgia's youth, Riley approached Professional Kennel Club's National Youth Director Chris Freiberger for ideas.  The result is the Peach State Shootout series of qualifying events held throughout the summer that will advance the overall winners to a championship to be held in the fall. This episode spotlights coon hunting from the perspective of a young man that totally enjoys and totally gets it.  You are going to be energized by the demeanor and knowledge of a young man possessed of ways of thinking usually reserved for hunters much older than he.  If you love the sport and I know you do, you are going to especially enjoy it from the perspective of Caden Riley.  

In this episode Steve picked up the phone on the chance that he talk with his longtime friend and was lucky enough to catch Moran before he headed to the woods.   The conversation that ensued was vintage Moran with stories of hounds and hunts of the past, humorous antic dotes and amazingly detailed trips down memory lane that winds through virtually every states when raccoons are pursued with hounds..As listeners will see, Moran's mind is a sharp as a double-bladed axe fresh off the grinder permitting the vintage coon hunter to hone his stories, including names and places, to a fine razor's edge.  If you are a Moran fan, and we know you are, you'll really enjoy this episode. 

In this, the second episode about tree dogs, the boys are dealing with problems that occur at the tree.  Everything from tree jacking to chewing to guarding the tree are discussed in detail. In their years of experience with tree dogs of all types, the pair has experienced and have attempted to correct all manner of issues that make what should be the sublime experience of walking up and seeing game in the tree at the end of the trail, a stressful and often worrisome experience for the hunter.The episode is ripe with common sense approaches to dealing with tree problems and is a program most any tree dog enthusiast will appreciate even if they don't recall as personal experiences.  Admittedly, there may be more problems identified than resolved in this issue with a promise of more solutions to come.   Tree problems are complex and the hosts don't take them lightly, being careful to present only useful, commonsense remedies.Prepare to hear discussions on milling at the tree, dogs that become jealous at the tree and dogs that become hunt sour after entering too many competitions.   There's a lot of information packed in this issue and it's all intended to make the experience of hunting game with tree dogs more enjoyable.   There is also an admonishment that if the listener is afraid to correct problems at the tree, he or she may well need to find another dog or at the extreme, another sport.    

 “A brace of cane-backed rocking chairs invited the pair with oaken arms and soon the rough-sawn wood floor was creaking with the ebb and flow of their rocking.”  Taken from “Too Old To Quit,” an essay from his Gone To The Dogs – A Coon Hunter's Journey book by Steve Fielder.In this week's episode, Steve and Corey participate in some summertime front porch-sitting and the conversation turns to the core of the sport of hunting furbearers with the quintessential tree dog. As sure as pointing dogs point birds and waterfowl dogs retrieve ducks, tree dogs tree game.  Tree dogs come in all sizes, styles, mouths and a plethora of preferences by the hunters that follow them.  How long is long enough to stay treed? What is locating ability?  Are layup dogs really just hot-nosed dogs that work air currents instead of scent on the ground?  Which is more preferred, a chop-mouth or a bawl-mouth tree dog and is there really a difference are but a few of the subjects explored. If you consider yourself a tree dog man, we've got the tree.  We just need you to help us find what's up it this episode.    We would like to thank those who support this podcast.  Special thanks to Alpha Dog Nutrition and Double U Hunting Supply for sponsoring this episode.  Want to learn more about Alpha Dog Nutrition? Check out the links belowhttps://www.dusupply.com/alphadogwww.dusupply.comhttps://alphadognutrition.com/

While he was gone, Corey joined the fund-raising ranks with his involvement in a charity called Wags for Kids.  His plan involves raising money for deserving kids needing therapy dogs and such and it produced the idea of a coonhound stud dog auction.   Thirty owners agreed to provide stud service on social media to the highest bidder with all proceeds going to the benefit.  The plan is working great and the boys talk about that in this episode which naturally leads into a much broader discussion of the ins and outs of running a stud dog in today's tree dog market. The discussion runs the gamut of pros and cons and provides a lot of insight and information for anyone thinking of putting a nice hound up for public stud.  Pull up and rocker, sharpen up your Ticonderoga #2 and let's talk stud dogs with Corey and Steve. 

 J.R. Gray, at 27 years of age, has compiled quite a coon hunting resume with his hounds.  Prior to winning two world championships, Willy made the All- Grand Top 16 at Autumn Oaks and was named the UKC Male Performance Hound of the Year, both in 2017.  Willy is also a PKC Platinum Champion having earned more than $20 thousand in that registry's events.As if Willy's accomplishments weren't enough, Gray finds himself basking in the limelight of one of today's most prestigious wins, the UKC Tournament of Champions with a son of Rack Em Willy called Grand Nite Champion Gray's Conor McGregor.  Conor captured the coveted first place win and a check in the amount of $50 thousand at the second annual UKC Tournament of Champions in Greencastle, Ind., in April.Steve catches up with J.R. to discuss his amazing career with Willy and Connor in this timely and extremely interesting episode. Listeners may be surprised at the perspective this young man has on the sport as he reveals what the sport means to him.  This is a good one for the young hunter and seasoned veteran alike. 

When your dad's the most successful Treeing Walker breeder in recent history with major money wins, World Championships and Hall of Fame inductions at every turn, it would appear that sharing the big stage, the limelight if you will, would be a long time coming in the shadow of dad Randy's success.  When you have the attitude, work ethic and the respect for the game of a seventeen-year old Troy Smith, being recognized for your own achievements seems as natural as summer rain.In this episode, Steve heads up to western Pennsylvania to hunt with Troy and Randy and to record Troy's story.  The trip entailed two nights of hunting with a pair of Lone Pine yearlings, Lone Pine Phara at seventeen months and Lone Pine Phalse Profit at fourteen months.  A total of nine raccoons were seen on as many trees on the two-night hunt.  The second night was a short one as Steve respected the early departure time for his homebound flight.This recording is worth your time for a number of reasons, especially if there are young hunters in your family or circle of friends.   It presents the opportunity to view the sport and what it holds for young ones that indeed will inherit it and carry it forward.  Refreshing is the word that comes to mind.  

Recently, Jamie Estep, who joins Sturgill and Bolen in this episode, designated the annual National Plott Hound Association's West Virginia Plott Sectional the John Sturgill Tribute Hunt and Show.  Sturgill was honored throughout the recent three days of hunts, shows and bear events.  Estep invited Steve to judge the bench show on Friday, setting up the perfect opportunity for the friends to get together and recall old times.This is a feel-good conversation centered upon hunting in the rugged West Virginia mountains with Plott dogs.  Estep recalls Sturgill and Bolen as role models for his own career which now includes the title of Field Representative for UKC and anchor for the YouTube video coverage of the popular Tournament of Champions for coonhounds. Steve is betting you will really enjoy this one.

Florida coon hunter Mack Britt of Parrish, Florida, an unincorporated community in Manatee County near Sarasota on the west coast, began coon hunting with his dad as a boy.  He was bitten by the hound dog bug at an early age and has remained true to his calling for nearly fifty years. The reasons Mack was chosen as a guest for this podcast are manifold.   First and foremost, he is a “good old boy.”  I've never heard a disparaging word uttered about Mack among his peers within the community of Florida coon hunters.  I've driven thousands of miles with him to PKC hunts, his hunt of choice, and have enjoyed every mile.  I talk with him regularly by phone.Secondly, Mack is a veteran coon hunter in an area the is not for the faint of heart, an area where the numbers of coon hunters has dwindled over the years.  He knows Florida coons and their habitats as well as anyone and better than most.  He isn't afraid to brave the hazards of hunting alone in a jungle swamp and does so regularly.  When a dog trees, his or yours, he will hack, crawl, and crash his way through palmettos, cat-claw briars and soft-bottomed, snake-infested swamps to get to the dog.   If you're wondering what it would be like to hunt coons in Florida, here it is.  It ain't pretty, but if you are the adventurous type, there ain't nothin' like it!

This episode will be Corey's last for awhile as he and his wife Kayla welcome their second child, another girl, into the Gruver household.  It could happen at any time. It's an exciting time for sure and one that will demand a little more of Corey's attention than usual.  He'll rejoin the show as soon as things settle down a bit over there in Greenville, PA.In this, Corey's parting episode, the discussion moves to observations on the recent UKC Tournament of Champions.   We break down the hounds and the handlers of the finals and offer some pretty darn good arm-chair quarterbacking of the final three from the perspective of individuals that have seen their fair share of major events from behind the scenes.At the center of this one is a discussion on why Walker dogs win when other coonhound breeds don't.   You can almost hear the porch boards squeaking as the motion tries to keep up with the spirited conversation.   Grab a rocker and join in this “dog talk at its finest.”      

The boys have closed the damper, swept out the firebox and moved operations to the front porch for remainer of the spring and summer.  Spring peepers and hoot owls will provide ambient sound as the rockers get a workout on the rough-sawn boards at close of day.   But in this episode, the fire is still crackling and the conversation drifts to the subject of multi-purpose dogs, mostly coonhounds operating outside the normal bounds of track and tree.  It's a good listen and a thought-provoker for anyone bold enough to consider using Old Blue to perform what many would consider unnatural acts.   Lean in and see if you don't find this to be some interesting stuff.  It will be your last chance to spit on the stove for a while.